


Co-Parenting With Your Ex

by Lhee0807



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:49:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23020495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lhee0807/pseuds/Lhee0807
Summary: When Steve had Peter, he knew he signed up for loving this precious boy unconditionally and the hardships of raising a child as a single parent. What he did not sign up for is being co-parents with the man who broke his heart years ago.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 11
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

When Steve Rogers was a young, gullible child, he believed in true love and how it will change someone to be better. He bought the fantasy those romance novels told him that everything will be cured by true love. All you need to do is to become sassy but still supportive and your fuck boy or fuck girl will change for you. He remembered saying that to his friends, Bucky and Sam every time he read a romance novel that struck to him and being told how cringey it was, especially being said by a dude like him. He remembered agreeing with them to shut them up but also wanting a relationship filled with burning passion and being a testament that love conquers all.

Then, he met the rich fuck boy who broke his heart and ruined him for any other man.

Twenty years later, he’s a middle age single parent who can’t get a man because for some reason, the guys he attracted are either closeted gay men who wanted an affair because their wives could not satisfy them or guys who just wanted to have a good time and were not really willing to commit. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the latter, but what he wanted was a stable relationship.

Of course, the main reason he was still single after all these years is because his son is his priority. Peter Benjamin Rogers is the sweetest and smartest kid he knew and that was not the doting parent in him speaking. His son is literally a genius. At the age of fourteen, he already had people who were willing to pay him to fix their electronics and had a YouTube channel where he showed people how to fix electronics and occasionally build stuff using materials from the dumpster. He was doing these things while still getting good grades.

Everything was going well despite being single. Steve had a good job. His son is the most wonderful kid in the world. Life is great.

But alas, when you think everything is going fine, destiny will troll the shit out of you and shake you out of your happy bubble. Life is not fair, Steve knows, but does he have to end up on the most bizarre situation? Just why?

It all started with the Young Inventors Competition. Peter wanted to join, so he signed the permission slip and his son started to do his creation. Steve expected him to impress some important people in the event. Of course, his son is amazing. He’s a genius that will one day surpass all the geniuses in this day and age, believe it or not. But he did not expect this...

“Pete, baby, you want some ice cream?” Steve’s heart broke when his son merely shook his head and looked like he wanted to cry. Usually, ice cream will cheer him up whenever he’s sad, but Steve guessed that his son’s first real rejection would need more cheering up than just mere ice cream.

“Papa, can we please just go home?” he said, his voice breaking. And for the nth time, he had the urge to confront the judges and question their life choices. Like why would they choose a merely functioning robot to his son’s superior version of SIRI? But, the protective mother hen in Steve wanted to cuddle his son and that’s what he would do.

“Of course, baby,” he said and gave Peter a side-hug.

“Don’t worry Pete, there will be other competitions that you can join,” Bucky said consolingly. Like Steve, he did not expect the result. He and Sam literally said, “What is this shit?!” at the same time when the winner was announced.

“That’s right, kid,” said Sam. “You can join the ones that will judge you based on what you do and not care if you’re not a son of a powerful mogul or something. Seriously, the only reason that Thompson kid won is because his dad is literally one of the judges and everyone knows it.”

Bucky snorted. “With judges like Norman Osborn, George Thompson, and Tony Stark, you would expect results based on nepotism.”

“Tony Stark is amazing, though!” his kid protested and the three of them snorted. Tony Stark may be the owner of one of the leading tech companies in the world, but he’s still shit. Aside from playing Steve’s and many people’s hearts, they heard shady things about the company.

“Why don’t you guys like him? His company helps people and aims to produce clean energy to help the environment.”

Steve chuckled and proceeded to ruffle his son’s hair. It’s not like he could say why without embarrassing himself. He just wished that they had friends that could match Peter’s intelligence when it comes to science, so he wouldn’t need to idolize shitty people like Tony Stark.

“Let’s go and order Thai, okay?” Bucky said. “I’m gonna rant this to Peggy, Dum Dum, and the others. Lord knows I won’t get over how those judges chose a basic over my nephew like this.”

“Uncle!” Peter whined, feeling shy about how much his uncle was frustrated about his loss. Then his voice became quiet. “Do you think the people in school will still trust me in their electronics? Flash won. They’ll think I’m a loser.”

The three adults looked at each other. They knew how important his little side business is to Peter.

“It’ll be fine, kid,” Sam assured the youngest. “Maybe, they’ll think that the Flash kid is the superior one, but your skills will speak for you. And if ever you got less clients after this, then you can focus more on your YouTube channel. You don’t post often but you have loyal subscribers because you’re cute and stuff.”

“I’m not cute! I’m manly!” Peter protested. “My YouTube name is Spider-Man, not Spider-Cute.”

The adults chuckled. Steve is just glad that Peter is bouncing back quickly from losing the competition.

“You’re still my baby though,” Steve remarked and pinched the teen’s cheek, knowing that it will get a reaction. And it did. His kid glared at him.

“C’mon, Spider-Man, let’s get you some Thai food.”

They were on their way to get out of the hall when someone in a suit approached them.

“Excuse me?” the woman asked. “Peter Rogers?”

“Yes?”

“I’m Pepper Potts of Stark Industries,” the woman introduced herself. “Mr. Stark was impressed by your entry, Peter. It’s very advanced for an AI.”

Sam and Bucky snorted. Steve would but that would be rude. He just wanted to get this over with so Peter could eat his Thai food in peace.

“Thank you, ma’am,” the teen said politely.

“Mr. Stark wants to invite you to the Stark Tower whenever you are available.”

“For what, miss?” asked Bucky.

“As I said, Mr. Stark is really impressed with Peter here and he wants to offer him an internship,” Ms. Potts explained. “We would discuss the compensation package in the Stark Tower and you’re all welcome to come with him.”

“Of course, one of us would,” Sam said, a little peeved at the thought of his nephew being on his own with the dude that played his best friend.

The blonde woman pulled a card out of her bad and offered it to her. Steve got it. “That’s my calling card. Please contact me within before Friday this week to know when Peter will be available for an interview.”

“Will do, ma’am,” Steve said flatly. As if he would allow Peter to be in the same vicinity as that asshole ever again.

Or so Steve said. And he was about to, but he’s weak to Peter’s puppy eyes and the fact that an Internship with a big company like Stark Industries would be a good work and learning experience that his school won’t be able to provide for him.

“Remember our deal, Pete,” Steve reminded the teen.

“Yes papa,” Peter replied. “I’ll make sure that this won’t affect my schooling and I’ll tell you if anything goes bad or if the workload is too much.”

“Great. Let’s go.”

They went to the reception and told the receptionist that they were looking for Pepper Potts. The woman smiled at them and told them to wait on the couch as Ms. Potts will be there shortly. While waiting, Steve repeatedly told himself that while his opinion of Tony Stark is not the best one, he’s sure that he won’t be an asshole to a child he invited himself. That since he apparently saw Peter’s potential, he would be at least nice to him and it’s not he would interact with his son closely as he’s a pretty busy guy. He won’t have time for interns.

And most importantly, his irrational fear of Tony Stark messing with his kid in any way possible would just be that. A fear that won’t even materialize.

So, when Ms. Potts went to approach them to lead them to an office and he saw his son biting his lip nervously, Steve tapped his son’s shoulder, assuring him that everything would be okay.

_They got this._

The big boss’s office is very neutral and cold. It does not really reflect what Tony Stark was perceived in the media and how Steve perceived him as his asshole ex. It was very... museum-y. It had modern art on the wall and sculptures on the shelves, but it did not look like someone stayed there very often.

Tony Stark however is the same as always. Same beard, same casual style, same eyes that used to be Steve’s weakness.

“Please sit down, Peter and Mr. Rogers,” Ms Potts instructed them. “I’ll get you some refreshments.”

“Thank you ma’am,” Steve said with a smile while Peter just muttered his thanks. Ms Potts smiled at the father and son pair and looked at her boss.

“Would this be all, Mr. Stark?” she asked. Steve mentally took note the flirting tone.

“That’s all Ms. Potts,” Stark said and his assistant left the room.

_Huh? I guess they’re together. Hopefully, she’s not a side chick._

“Peter Rogers,” Tony Stark addressed his son with a smile on his face. “Nice to meet you. I’m glad that you and your guardian can make it.”

_I guess I have to pretend I don’t know him, too._

Peter gave a hesitant smile. “N-nice to meet you too, Mr. Stark.”

“I can tell you’re nervous,” Stark said. “Don’t be. Your AI is very impressive and your YouTube videos are great as well. Be more confident about your skills, kid. Besides, if you and your guardian here agree to our terms, you’ll get the Internship.”

“Speaking of internship, Mr Stark,” Steve spoke to Tony Stark for the first time. “What does it entail?”

Stark raised his eyebrow, seemingly amused. “Well, Mr. Rogers, it does mean that Peter here will have to take twenty hours of his weekly schedule to be in the Stark Tower. He will be directly under my supervision as I need someone as brilliant as Peter to assist me with my projects.”

“Twenty hours per week?” Steve repeated. That would be too much. He looked at his son to ask him, but Peter looked like he won the lottery. Of course, being Tony Stark’s assistant would be like a dream for his son. He had idolized the man even before he and Steve met.

“Of course, Peter does not need to decide now,” Tony Stark said, seemingly understanding Steve’s concern. “Although I’d like to point out that there would be compensation. Aside from free food and beverages, Peter would have a salary of five hundred dollars per week and most importantly, he would learn from the best which is me.” Then, he winked.

 _How very humble,_ Steve almost snorted.

But he knew that his son would definitely benefit by being mentored by the genius the media loves to follow. The pay though is pretty generous for a high school intern. Steve can’t help but wonder what Stark is expecting from Peter aside from some lab assistance? And now that’s he’s thinking about it, it seemed so out-of-character.

Why the hell does Stark suddenly need an intern? Why choose a kid that HE did not deem good enough to be the winner of a science competition? Steve knew that whatever the man’s projects were, it would be too advanced for a high school student. And why is he the one doing the job offer when he has other important things to do than doing HR stuff?

“Pete, we can talk about this at home,” Steve said, not wanting his son to decide right away. Based from his face, he would want to accept the Internship just at the promise of being mentored by his idol. “Weigh your options. Mr. Stark is right. You don’t have to decide right away.”

Just then, Ms Potts came back with the refreshments and some documents.

“Have some drinks, gentlemen,” she said and looked at her boss. “Mr. Stark?”

“That would be all, Ms. Potts,” he said. “I’d like to chat with young Peter here and his guardian.”

Peter immediately picked up one of the sodas. And after the blonde woman exited the office, Tony Stark started to ask Peter some basic questions like how he’s doing at school and what his favourite subjects are. He also told the teen that he could absolutely film some of the projects they would be doing on his YouTube channel. It made his son excited. Peter looked like he was having the time of his life to be honest.

While they were talking, Steve was observing. He knew firsthand how lovable and adorable his son is, but the way Stark was conversing his son is weird. Of course, Tony Stark is friendly with everyone when he is being filmed and observed by the media, but Steve could not see the professional distance that he had with his own boss. It’s bizarre and it made Steve observe his ex closely for any possible creepy behaviour.

“You know what, Pete? Let me give you and your guardian a private tour,” he offered and Peter’s eyes sparkled.

“Really, Mr. Stark? That would be great!”

And so, they had a tour. They went to the floor where according to Stark would be where Peter would be mostly assisting him. It was a pretty impressive workshop. It was wide and had a lot of unfinished projects like the red robot-like suit and a small device that according to Peter is called the arc reactor. It was the device he was geeking about the most because of how it could generate clean energy.

That was when Stark told Peter that if he accepted the Internship, they would work on the arc reactor first. Steve wondered why this man was telling important and _sensitive_ information to Peter and him, by extension when his son was not technically his employee yet. His question was answered of course when at the end of the tour, they signed an NDA. After that, due to Stark’s insistence, his driver drove the father-and-son duo home, so they won’t have to commute.

Steve knew what Peter’s decision would be about the Internship. It showed how excited he was to work for Tony Stark and be part of the clean energy stuff that his company was starting. Aside from that, the man seemed to be so accommodating.

True enough that was the first thing that Peter brought up when they got home.

“Papa,” Peter said, grabbing Steve’s attention. “What do you think about Mr. Stark?”

“He seems nice, Pete,” Steve answered the question half-honestly. He thought that Stark was being way too nice. “His project with clean energy will do wonders if it becomes successful. Do you really want to try the Internship?”

“I do,” Peter said and bit his lips.

“But?”

“But, the hours,” the teen started. “I really like to try it, but I worry about my Decathlon practice and if it will affect my side business.”

Steve sighed. He felt like an asshole to want Peter to focus on those things. It’s not like he needed the money anyway. He can provide for his son. In fact, the money Peter earned was used for his entertainment expenses. 

“It will certainly affect some of the things you are doing if you accept their offer, Pete. That’s twenty hours a week. And you have school. You have Decathlon practice twice a week and that’s like two hours on average. You can definitely accept fewer clients so you won’t be overwhelmed, but is that what you want to do?”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Peter said, sadly. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll get many clients in school. Flash posted that he would start fixing stuff and our schoolmates liked his post and commented that they would ask him from now on. They must think I’m a loser now.”

“Oh Pete!” Steve hugged his son. “Don’t worry about that. I’m sure that they’ll change their mind.”

“They will. I’m going to be Tony Stark’s intern. How cool is that?”

Tony Stark first knew about Peter Roger’s existence when he was invited in Midtown High School for the ribbon cutting ceremony of their new building. Pepper thought that it would be good publicity for the company especially when the scandal of his weapons just exploded. He was forced to shut down the Weapons Division and the company stocks went on a nose dive. At first, he just went with it for the publicity. He also remembered George Thompson’s son being chummy with him and he let it.

The media had a field day that day. There were articles like _Tony Star, Pleased About The Future_ and _Does Tony Stark Finally Want An Heir?_ Of course, those articles were thanks to the company’s PR team. And he consented everything especially the ones about having an heir. He was getting older and he wanted one. Of course, he wanted to have someone to continue his legacy, but most importantly, he’s envious of his friends (fake or not) for having children to spoil with. He’s been investigating the women he’s remembered he was with to see if he had a child somewhere, but to no avail.

To be honest, he was looking into adoption. But he wanted someone like him. He could not connect to kids who can’t discuss something as simple as Law Of Motion. He was on his way to his office when he saw Peter. He was giving another kid a smart phone and saying that he just needed to just pay half the price they agreed on as it was easier to fix than he thought. It was only one to two minutes, but Tony felt something within him when he saw the kid. He was adorable and seemed to be very intelligent. The only thing that stopped him from approaching the boy was because he literally ran in the hallway once he gave the smart phone. He did not even have time to accept the money that he supposed was worth fixing the phone.

Tony thought to himself that he was the kid he wanted. That scrawny kid with the same eyes as him could be his son. It made the genius felt alive in years. He had the kid investigated and found out that he’s Peter Benjamin Rogers and looked into his social media. Based from YouTube channel alone, he knew that Peter was the heir he wanted. He’s smart, innovative, and very charming. He can’t help but smile whenever he watched him ramble while fixing or creating stuff.

Then, he started thinking of ways on how he could be in Peter’s life.

At first, he thought of befriending his guardian but decided against. The problem was he was the adopted son of his one of his many, many exes. And from what he remembered from Steve Rogers, he was certainly a good fuck, but like his other partners, he wanted to cage him in a relationship. Also, he was still friends with Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson and they did not have a high opinion of him. Tony thought it may hinder his chance to be in Peter’s good grace if he would approach his father and uncles first.

So, he looked for another way to get into the teenager’s life without using Steve. He hated that he did not meet the kid when he was still in the orphanage. It would have been easier. More than once, he was tempted to just kidnap Peter. He knew people who could easily do the job and make it seem like he ran away. But for some reason, whenever he saw Peter happy with his family and friends, his resolve will suddenly be gone.

He bid his time. When he found out that Peter would join the competition that he initially refused to the judge of, he suddenly instructed Pepper to say to the coordinators that he changed his mind. They made arrangements for him. He is Tony Stark and people don’t say no to him.

To be honest, the AI that Peter came up with was very impressive for his young age and for Tony, he was the obvious winner. But George Thompson’s son was also in the contest and the old man wanted his son to win. Norman Osborn was definitely interested in Peter, so he influenced them to not pay attention to the kid. He told the two men that the AI was so basic and obviously the coding was something he must have copied and pasted from the Internet. Therefore, it was not as impressive as they first thought. Thompson agreed with him and talked about how his son’s robot was definitely better. Tony agreed that it was best entry. (It’s not.) And because Osborn can be stupid sometimes, he was convinced that Peter was nothing special.

His heart broke when he saw how disappointed Peter was that he did not even get the second or the third prize. The poor kid looked like he wanted to cry. Tony wanted to console the kid, but he stopped himself. He needed to look like he didn’t care. That way, Osborn would not approach the kid. Instead, he secretly asked Pepper to talk to the kid and offer the Internship.

When he met Peter and Steve again, it was in the office that he rarely used. He was glad that the teenager obviously idolized him. That was very favourable for him. He just needed to spoil the kid and show him that he could confide to him. The only problem was he noticed that Steve kept looking at him like he was still hung -up about what happened to them. Tony did not like that. Steve Rogers may have aged like wine, but he still did not want to be caged in a serious commitment. He wanted Peter to be his son, but he did not want to be with Steve.

And he would make sure that Peter would prefer him over his guardian.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Twenty years ago..._ **

_When Steve was nineteen, he wanted to be an artist. His mama was opposed to his chosen major as there was no money in being an artist, but Steve was stubborn and optimistic. And so, he went to college studying Fine Arts. It was fun. He liked learning about art and the world’s greatest artists and he was hoping that one day, his art would give contribution to the world._

_But now, he had rent to pay and a job to do. That’s why he’s in a bar working. It seemed like a quiet night at first. There were few customers and they were all minding their business. It was fine until a group of loud young adults came to the bar and straight to him. Steve immediately did not like them, especially the obnoxious one who seemed to be their “leader.”_

_“Hey, T, are you really sure about this place?” the muscular blond asked the brunet. The brunet just laughed at his friend._

_“But of course, Ty,” the brunet said. “It seemed like a good place to me. Let’s ask the blondie over here.” Then “T” looked at him. “Hey there, cutie pie. How do you say we hang out in your place?”_

_Steve smiled professionally. “Well, I don’t mind.”_

_The brunet snorted and Steve wanted to punch him all of a sudden. “Of course, you would say that, sweetie. You work here!” he said obnoxiously and his friends laughed._

_Steve shrugged, ignoring the heat on his face. “Well, you’re free to leave.”_

_“Nah, we’ll stay, blondie. Serve us well, don’t you?”_

_The audacity of this asshole!_

_But Steve just smiled. “What can I get you?”_

_When he asked that, he and his friends told him their orders all at the same time. It felt like they were kids. Should he double check to the guards about their IDs?_

_“Slow down, guys,” Steve said, trying to be friendly with these assholes. “One by one, okay?”_

_“What, you can’t take our orders?” asked only girl in the group. She was on the brunet’s personal space, so Steve guessed they were in a relationship. “Are you dumb or something? Get me your manager!”_

_“With all due respect, ma’am – ,” Steve tried to explain, but was interrupted._

_“What the fuck, are you talking back to me?” the girl asked in a high-pitched voice. “Tony, he’s talking back to me!”_

_“All I’m asking is to get your orders one by one, ma’am,” he explained. Fuck, would he need to ready his resume or take a loan again?_

_“Fuck you!” Then, she literally spat on him and he was shocked._

_“I need you and your group to leave,” Steve said and calling the bouncer that he spotted. He immediately told the bouncer that the group was already causing a distraction, seeing that the other people in the bar were being uncomfortable._

_“We’re paying customers, blondie!” the obnoxious blond said. It caused a bigger commotion with the group being louder and it called the attention of his manager. He immediately went to them._

_“What happened here?” Steve knew that he was screwed. His manager would take these assholes’ side and fire him. He would definitely prepare his resume tonight because of these assholes._

_“This man was so rude to us,” the blonde said in a pitiful high-pitched voice. “We were just ordering and having a good time and he wanted us to leave.”_

_“You forgot to mention that you spat on my face, ma’am,” he calmly added. “All I ask was to say your orders one by one.”_

_“Steve!” his manager hushed him. Oh boy, can he just tell him he’s fired?_

_“I want him fired!” the blond man, said. He looked angry._

_“I can’t just be fired, you know,” Steve said, calmly. If this is the last time he would be in the bar, then he’ll be a little shit. “Last time I knew, there was a thing called due process. I knew for a fact that I asked you to get your orders one by one because you’re all speaking at the same time. I was spat on the face and I asked you to leave. I’m a bartender here, not your personal spit dumpster.”_

_“Do you know who I am?” the blond man asked incredibly. “I model for Calvin Klein underwear and I can have this bar closed with my influence.”_

_Steve snorted. “Guess I’ll just switch brands from now on. I’ll tell my friends that Calvin Klein sucks for letting their models use their name to spread their assholery.”_

_“Why, you – “_

_A loud laugh stopped the blond man from attacking Steve. It came from the obnoxious brunet._

_“You’re entertaining, are you?” his eyes were shinning from amusement. “Don’t worry, we’re leaving this place.”Then, he shouted, “All the drinks tonight are on me, suckers!” Everyone cheered. It was so bizarre. Then he took his wallet and gave Steve several hundred dollar bills. “This is for you, cutie. Enjoy your shift.”_

_After his shift, he counted the money. He almost had a heart attack when he counted one thousand five hundred dollars._

* * *

**_Present Day..._ **

“Are you sure you’d let Peter get close with that ass?” Bucky asked after sipping his bear.

“If I have a choice, I won’t let Peter work for Stark, but I have to think of my son’s future, you know?”

Whether Steve liked it or not, Peter’s interest was not in line with what he or his uncles do for a living. If he knew people who could match Peter’s intelligence and interest in science, he would have introduced his kid to them.

“Damn, I wish I’ve talked to that Banner guy back in the Army. I could have befriended him. Peter idolizes him, too, you know. I think he’s more interested in that gamma energy stuff more than Stark’s stuff.”

Sam just laughed. “None of us here are smart enough to discuss science with geniuses like Banner, Cap. We would have migraine thinking about those things.”

Steve chuckled because it’s true. While they were good at being soldiers back in the military, they were not really academically gifted. Heck, Steve himself only managed to get a decent GPA because of his mother’s insistent tutoring back then.

“So, how are you feeling about seeing Stark again, Stevie?” Bucky asked.

“I’m not nineteen anymore, Buck. I don’t feel anything about that man aside from annoyance,” Steve said. He did not tell his friends that he still felt shame for letting himself be degraded and downgraded once upon a time.

Also, there’s this anxiety about how he looked at Peter when they went to the man’s Tower.

He sighed. “But, I can’t help but be anxious,” Steve admitted to his friends. “There’s something I can’t explain. The way he looked at Peter...”

Now, Sam and Bucky were alarmed. “He looked at Peter like what?”

“I can’t put a finger on it,” the blond father said. “He’s really interested in Peter, you know. I can see that he’s impressed with him and even mentioned Pete’s channel. He was very accommodating...” Steve frowned. “Too accommodating...”

Sam clenched his jaw. He was now working as a psychiatrist. And while he was mostly working with veterans, he has also worked with children who were victims of sexual abuse and grooming.

“Steve, are you suspecting that Stark could be a sexual predator?”

“I don’t think so, Sam,” he admitted. “I observed him closely, you know. And I don’t see any signs. He didn’t touch or look at Peter inappropriately when he thinks I’m not looking. I don’t think he’s a danger to my son. But, I can’t shake this feeling that he’s planning something for him that may uproot him.”

“I’ll check on him.” Bucky stated, making Steve look at his friend with indignation. Of course, he appreciated Bucky’s offer as he wanted to get more information about Stark. But, the blond also did not want his friend’s job to be compromised. Bucky sensed his apprehension. “Stevie, it’s fine. Besides, your instincts are always up to something. We can’t ignore that.”

“That’s right, Steve. We all care about Peter here. If Stark can use his influence and company to secure my nephew’s future, let’s make sure that he’ll be safe.”

“I guess, you’re right. Thanks guys.”

He’s really grateful that he’s still friends with these two after all these years. They still got each other’s backs. And now, they’ll have Peter’s, too.

* * *

Peter was over the moon. Working for Tony Stark was so much cooler than expected. It did not raise his popularity in school like he anticipated, but overall, it was great. Mr. Stark was a good mentor. He thought that being an intern would mean getting coffee or photocopying stuff. But, the genius CEO really spent time with him in the lab, taking note of his ideas and considering them like he was an equal. The only downside with the Internship was that he did not think that it would take much of his time and energy. It was very demanding.

It seemed like a blessing that he only had the Decathlon practice and his homework to do aside from the Internship. Flash managed to put his small side business down. At first, it hurt to see his old customers preferring his bully over him, but now, he’s thankful. He wouldn’t have done all of these things all at once and his Papa would make him let go of one of his commitments.

Speaking of his Papa, his alarm went off, indicating that he should be ready to go home. Mr. Stark heard it and smiled.

“Is it time, Underoos?”

He nodded. He felt bad when his alarm went off while they were discussing the integral part of the Arc Reactor project, but his Papa was adamant to have his Internship end at exactly 8PM and he would pick him up at around 9PM. He talked about it to Mr. Stark and the man was very understanding. Peter had a second hand embarrassment while the adults were talking about it, but now he’s glad about that condition. If it weren’t for that, he would have forgotten to do homework and be tired all the time. What can he say? His Papa knows best.

“I guess, I’ll see you on Friday, Mr. Stark.” 

“Yeah, kid.” Then, he proceeded to ruffle his hair. The CEO liked doing that. It was kind of awkward, but it’s Mr. Stark! Who was he to complain? “I’m famished. Want to have pizza with me while we’re waiting for your guardian?”

That’s another weird thing about Mr. Stark. Why does he always call his Papa his guardian? Obviously he is, but usually, people refer Papa as his father. But, he tried to brush it off. The man is a genius. He’s bound to have quirks.

“Uhm, sure, Mr. Stark!”

Then, they proceeded to go to the cafeteria. Once they’re there, Mr. Stark ordered him to sit in a vacant table while his boss fell in line to order them food. At first, it weirded him out and offered that he would go and order their food. But, Mr. Stark just would just hush him and tell him to do some homework while waiting. So, now he got used to it. He guessed adults like to do that stuff to younger people. His Papa would also do that when they’re in a fast food restaurant or going to the movies.

He would just start his homework while his boss orders the food.

“Here’s the pizza, Pete,” his boss announced. Peter muttered his thanks and got a slice. “Homework?”

“Yeah,” the teen confirmed. “It’s Calculus.”

“Want some help?”

“Nope. It’s not that hard, but it’s so many. I’ve done most of it in school, so I’ve got few items left.”

Mr. Stark just laughed. “Many people don’t get excited doing their Calculus homework.”

Peter giggled. “Well, not in my school. We’re a nerd school, you know. We like this kind of stuff.”

“I bet none of them is dealing with it nonchalantly.”

His cheeks flushed. He should be used to these kinds of compliments from his mentor, but as his Papa said, he had a hard time receiving praise.

“You should get used to compliments, kid,” Mr Stark suddenly advised him. “So, people won’t see a side of you that can be taken advantage of.”

“T-That’s a dark way to look into things, Mr. Stark,” the teen said. “Papa said that it’s cute that I still get embarrassed for being praised and it’s good to be humble so people will like you.”

“Well, he’s not wrong,” the older man conceded. “You’re a cute kid. And showing humility will do you good, but it’s also important not to show people your weakness. Someday, when you’re ready, the world will see your greatness. When that happens, the world will want a piece of you and use you until they bleed you dry.”

“I’m just an ordinary kid, Mr. Stark,” the teen laughed. He’s also used to pep talks like this from his mentor. He just let it because sometimes, his Papa and his uncles will also randomly tell him words of wisdom. Maybe, adults just generally see him as someone who they can sprout their philosophical stuff and advice.

Mr Stark just smiled like he knew something the young boy didn’t.

* * *

When Peter saw his Papa’s message, he collected his things and said goodbye to Mr. Stark. Once he finished eating, he started to feel tired. He wanted to sleep. When he saw his old man’s car, he immediately hopped in and greeted him.

“Hi Papa!”

“Ready to go?”

“Uh huh,” he responded and the older man just chuckled. “Tired?”

“A little bit,” he said. “Mr. Stark and I ate pizza while I was doing my homework. I think I would do my Art homework then sleep.”

“Sure, sweetie.” Papa smile sadly and the teen felt bad. Ever since he got the Internship, it was so seldom that the father and son ate together. They were just too busy. “B-But, I need help with my Art.”

“I can help you with that, kiddo.”

“Thanks Papa! You’re the best.”

“Just sleep if you’re tired, Petey.”

“Okay.”

Peter really fell asleep in the car. His father woke him up when they were home.

“Let’s get your Art homework done, so you can sleep, okay?” Steve suggested. The teen just nodded. He went out of the car and went into their house. His Papa followed. Once he was in the living room, Peter immediately took out his Art homework.

And as he promised, Steve helped his son. It wasn’t that hard to be honest. Peter had an artistic eye. That was something they had in common. He was just glad that he could still help his son even if he was smarter than him. Peter was more superior to other people when it came to intelligence.

“All done,” Peter declared. “Thanks Papa!”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now, go to your room, alright? You need to be ready for school tomorrow.”

M’kay. Good night, Papa.”

“Good night, sweetheart.”

* * *

Once Peter went to his room, Steve sighed and went to the kitchen and warmed his food. He was contemplating on talking to Peter about the Internship. When they decided to accept it, they thought that it would be an easy job like maybe photocopying stuff. But, whenever Peter had his Internship days, he would be exhausted although it was just four hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and eight hours on Saturdays.

Peter once told him that he found it challenging to work with Stark. Not that his boss was horrible, well that’s according to his son. Peter was adamant that Stark was nice to him. The challenge was the CEO was constantly asking his teenage son questions about the Arc Reactor and other stuff that you would ask someone with a managerial position. He was even told that once they were done, he would also be there to present the project to the board. Steve thought that it was fucking insane to assign that responsibility to a fourteen-year old, but Peter was thrilled.

He had also talked to Bucky about what he found out snooping around, and his friend told him that Stark was clean. Well, mostly. He was obviously still an asshole to his lovers (if they could be called that) and it’s an open secret that he had connection to the Mafia. But he was tolerant to children. According to the reports, Stark was seen going to orphanages these past few years and there was this thing about him about wanting to have an heir. So maybe, the man wanted children. Why? Steve did not care, but from what he was getting from Peter, it seemed that Stark took a liking to his son.

He did not know how to feel about it.

Maybe, he could figure it out tomorrow.

* * *

The morning came and Steve got up and made breakfast. After a while, he saw his son in his pajamas, still rubbing his eyes.

“Good morning Pete. Did you have a good sleep?”

“Good morning Papa,” his son greeted. “Pancakes?”

“Yep.” Once he’s done, he gave Peter his plate. The kid muttered his thanks and started to dig in. Steve ate as well. “So, you got a tiring day yesterday, huh?”

“Yep. Mr. Stark and I were discussing how to make the reactor using cheap materials. I mean, we could miniaturize it, but the materials were so expensive. Then, he told me look at some of the financial reports. I never thought that it could be complicated.”

“Well, Stark Industries is a big company, Pete. It’s bound to have a lot of entries in their books unlike in our art shop.”

Peter frowned. “Maybe that’s why it was so confusing. There were entries that didn’t match. I told that to Mr. Stark and he told me that he would have someone take a look at it. I hope he won’t have me look at those reports again. Math’s fine, but I didn’t think that dealing with so many numbers could make me dizzy.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “It made you dizzy?”

“Uh huh. It was just so many, and some of it didn’t even make sense,” his son explained. “Thankfully, Mr. Stark noticed and let me take a little break. I never thought I would hate numbers until that moment.”

Steve chuckled. “Well, if Mr. Stark makes you take a look at those reports, let me know and I’ll talk to him.”

“It’s okay, Papa. I just never thought it would be complicated. It’s so different with our family budget.”

“If you say so, Pete.”

“I’m done!”

“Great. Now, wash up and let’s get you to school.”

Once the father and son were done, they head up to Steve’s car. What they did not expect was for Tony Stark to be on their porch.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Stark?” his son asked, shocked to see his mentor outside their house. Steve noticed that people were looking at them.

“Well, you forgot your Calculus homework, kiddie,” he said while giving the notebook to his son.

“Oh, thanks Mr. Stark,” his son smiled, relieved. “You don’t have to.”

“Well, I can’t let my best kid flunk Calculus because he forgot his Calculus homework, can I?”

Steve frowned at that. “Well, thank you, Mr. Stark,” he said politely. “If you’ll excuse us, Peter’s getting ready to school.”

“No worries,” Stark chuckled. “If you want, I can take Peter to school.”

“No thanks. We’ll manage.”

“All right, Mr. Rogers. If you say so.”

Steve immediately locked the door and dragged Peter to the car. He couldn’t wait for the asshole to be out of his sight.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Whenever Peter wasn’t interning with Tony, Tony would focus on the non-exciting things of his company. Like meetings and more meetings. He wished his son was with him so he could slowly prepare him to be his heir but the child was with his guardian. Tony frowned when he thought of Steve Rogers and how Peter deeply respected the man. It was very annoying. He thought that it would be easy to replace his admittedly hotter-than-ever ex fling. For one, Steve Rogers did not look like he could support Peter. And he’s not smart enough to keep up with his son.

But, no! Turns out, his first investigator did a shit job and he judged Rogers too early. According to Peter, his _guardian_ is very supportive of his science endeavours and even let him attend workshops and conventions as long as it did not hinder his studies. And of course, because the first investigator was shit, he had to hire a second one to investigate Steve Rogers. Thanks to his lucky stars, the second one was also fucking useless, so Tony hacked into the IRS to see Roger’s tax bracket. And imagine his surprise when he discovered that the blond just paid a little more than a hundred thousand dollars in taxes last year. He did not have to be a genius to know that Steve could definitely support his son as long as they live simply.

If only Peter was as materialistic as his so-called friends during his teenage years...

The genius billionaire let out a frustrated sigh and as a result, the accounting staff paled. The young man must have thought that there was something disagreeable with his report but the CEO ignored it. He did not want to waste his time consoling a person that meant nothing to him. Speaking of time wasted...

“Stop right there, you,” he arrogantly said. “You and your reports are wasting my time.”

The man’s face reddened and tried to speak.

“No, I don’t want to hear your excuses. I was told by Smith that you have an explanation on where the missing money is. I already humoured you with this stupid report, don’t I?” When the man tried to answer, Tony continued. “Good! Now, tell me. What happened to this accounting book and why are there misplaced entries?”

“Sir, if you’d let me finish...”

The CEO just snorted. How did someone this stupid get hired? “I don’t have much time to go through your report. Just tell me what happened to the book and you better tell me the truth, Mr. Jacob.”

The staff gulped. Tony spared him no sympathy. “I’m going to time you. Two minutes, now start.”

The young man just started getting paler and stuttered his explanation. Tony didn’t make an effort to understand it. He’s a very important person. He shouldn’t deal with this shit.

“Time’s up,” he said coldly after exactly two minutes. JARVIS just gave a notification on his phone. Maybe, he could also get JARVIS on Peter’s phone. He needed more data to please that kid into loving him more than his guardian.

“Mr. Stark, please – “ 

“Nope, I don’t wanna hear it,” he said. “Go to your boss and tell him to come to me immediately. Thirty minutes with all the documents needed and no more stupid Powerpoint presentations, you hear me?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Now, scram!”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve was excited. Peter did not have Internship today so he could spend time with his son like he used to. Peter has always been a busy kid. He’s always doing extra-curricular activities that he often encouraged as long as it won’t affect his health and studies. Ever since his son interned with Stark, that quality time decreased because Peter was always so tired. He would always sleep rather than eat dinner and that concerned Steve.

Maybe, he could talk Peter out of the Internship. Well, he was also considering homeschooling Peter, but with Stark being so fucking interested about his kid, that’s a no.

Steve sighed.

“That’s one deep sigh boss,” Harriet, his long-time employee noticed.

Steve smiled. “Nah, I’m fine. I’m just thinking if I should fetch Peter later at school.”

Harriet chuckled. She knew how much her boss adored his son. It’s adorable and sometimes, she wished that her dad was as attentive as Steve.

“I can close the shop if you want.”

The blond father grinned. He thought that he could go to the grocery with Peter and they could make some pizza. His son loved pizza. He knew that he would have pizza in his Internship days and he wondered why Peter would still request pizza whenever he would come home early.

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

After that, Steve spent his day working in the shop while doing some drawings. Today’s business was slow, but Steve would be okay with that. His art shop was small but he had rich and regular patrons. They usually buy the supplies in bulk and more often than not, they are more interested in purchasing his paintings than the art supplies.

If time were a person, Steve would definitely it to hurry up. He chuckled as he remembered feeling like this. It was when Peter was coming home for the first time. He was so excited and made sure that Peter’s room would be galaxy-themed. The kid had a fascination with the stars and the solar system back then. Sam and Bucky teased him about spoiling Peter, but they were the ones who bought his kid binoculars as a welcoming gift. From then on, Peter decided that his two friends were the best uncles in the whole wide world. Well, they still are.

When it was three o’clock, Steve gave Harriet the keys, so she could close the shop.

“All right, boss,” the woman said. “Go spend quality time with Peter.”

“Thanks.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter was surprised when he received a text from his father that he would wait for him at the school gate. Usually, his Papa would not have time to fetch him from school. He had a shop to run and paintings to paint. Peter knew that even fetching him from the Stark Industries needed some tweaking in his Papa’s schedule.

It had been years since the blond did something like this.

“Is that your dad, Peter?” asked his best friend, Ned. He was currently convincing him to hang out in the teen’s house to build the latest Lego collection that his mom bought. Now that he thought about it, when was the last time he hang out with Ned?

“Yeah,” Peter confirmed. “He’s waiting for me in the school gate.”

“Oh,” Ned’s face fell. Peter smiled hesitantly.

“It would be summer next month, you know,” he consoled his best friend. “I’m sure we could hang out. We could even watch that movie you’ve been dying to watch. My treat.”

“Wow! You’re treating me now,” his best friend teased him. “You’ve changed.”

Peter snorted and playfully jabbed his shoulder. “Nah, I’ve never even touched my salary yet. So...”

Ned laughed. “That’s so like you. Too busy working for Mr. Stark you can’t even enjoy the fruits of your labor?”

“Gosh, I wish I could tell you man!” And Peter truly did. He signed an NDA the moment he started working for Tony Stark. He usually handled those secret projects that are definitely the first of its kind. It was exciting but scary. Sometimes, there was this conceited part of him that would tell him Mr. Stark trusted him the most. Of course, in reality, he knew that’s not true. He’s just an intern.

“Oh well, at least, I would get a free movie out of your secrets, man,” the larger teen said. “I guess it will just be me and my Lego today.”

“Tag me if you finish the Lego, Ned.”

“Sure thing, Pete.”

The two continued to talk until they reached the school gate. They immediately saw the blond man and went to him.

“How’s your day, boys?” Steve immediately asked the two when they got closer.

“It was fine, Papa.”

“That’s good to know,” Steve remarked. “Ready to go?”

Peter nodded and said goodbye to Ned. When they were in the car, he asked his father why he fetching him from school.

“Well, I was thinking we could make pizza for dinner,” Steve said. “Well, that is if you don’t have homework or anything.”

“It’s fine, Papa,” Peter smiled. He loved making pizza with his father. It was the first form of bonding they had. “Besides, I won’t refuse pizza.”

Steve chuckled. “I know, kid. Alright, let’s go to the grocery.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had fun in the grocery store. Steve was glad to see his son blabbering what he did for school and what flavours they should make. Peter was only interning for three months and for those three months, he only told stories about his Internship and the projects he was doing. Steve wondered if he was allowed to know what those projects were, but it’s not like he would sell those information or something to that effect.

“Papa,” his son called him when they were on their way to the cashier.

“Hmmm?”

“It’s been a while since we do this... you know, just grocery shopping and making pizza.”

“I know, kid.”

“Ned asked me to do Legos with him earlier,” his son said quietly. Steve frowned. Did Peter have other plans?

“Oh, I’m sorry, Pete,” he apologized. “I didn’t know that you have plans with Ned today.”

“It’s fine, Papa,” Peter assured him. “It’s just that... I didn’t realize that we don’t really hang out anymore. And I miss it. I miss hanging just hanging out with you, too, you know.”

Steve ruffled his son’s hair. Peter having a twenty-hours-per-week Internship is taking much of his time to be honest. It was a good experience for him and Steve would be grateful for Stark, no matter how much grudge he had on him because of their shared past. If only he’s not as shady as they came...

Speaking of shady, Steve noticed the large man with sunglasses again. He had a cereal on hand and he was there when they came to the grocery store and they bought a lot and this man was only just paying? For only a cereal? The blond gave the man a subtle glance and paid for the groceries when it was their turn.

Steve forgot about the man when he and his son went to his car. Peter was talking animatedly about school and how Ned and a girl named Betty was texting and almost got caught by the teacher. He chuckled when Peter told him that it was him who almost got in trouble when he tried to warn Ned. It reminded him of being the one in trouble in high school when it was Sam or Bucky who were not paying attention to the teacher.

“Papa, stop laughing,” his son told him, embarrassed. “I didn’t know that Mrs. Robinson would look in my direction when I tried to warn Ned. Flash would have totally rat him out.”

“That Flash kid, is he still bothering you two?”

“Well, duh.” Peter snorted. “He doesn’t believe that I intern with Mr. Stark and thinks that I only say so because people prefer him over me when it comes to fixing their stuff. He wants to be like the top student but Ned and I have better grades than him so I guess he’s bitter.”

Steve frowned at that. Flash Thompson has always been a bully and he did not like that his son and his best friend are the targets. He told the school about it, but it seemed like it was a mistake because Peter became known as the kid who tattled. And the school could not do anything about it because it was only “teasing.” It was a good thing that Peter had a good friend in Ned and had a lot of hobbies and interests to not be so bothered about it. Still, Steve made a mental note to look into it because he definitely didn’t want Peter to be bullied.

“Papa, I’m fine.” Peter seemed to sense what he was thinking. “Flash doesn’t beat me up or anything like that. Besides, whenever he says something mean, I’m usually thinking on the projects Mr. Stark asked my help for, so I don’t even digest the insults.”

Steve arched his eyebrows on that. “I thought Stark only wants you to be on that one big project?”

“That’s the main priority. But sometimes, Mr. Stark lets me work on his other small projects.”

“Peter...”

“I know, Papa. Don’t worry. I can handle it,” Peter assured him. “Besides, Mr. Stark doesn’t let me work for a long time without taking a break. He’s really nice.”

“That’s good to hear, Pete.”

When they went to the house, they got started with making the pizza dough. It was fun and especially when Peter put in the leftover pineapple chunks in the pizza and tuna in one pizza. He said that he saw it on YouTube and wanted to try it, but Mr. Stark did not want those things on pizza.

“Well, let’s see what will be the outcome, huh?” Steve smiled.

The pizzas turned out fine, but the night turned out great for the father and son. They decided to eat the pizzas in the living room while watching a science documentary and just be with each other. Peter would comment about some parts in the documentary and how the concepts relate to Stark’s projects. Steve really did not understand it, but his son was really passionate about them.

“Did they teach this in school?”

Peter pouted. “Nope. We’re tackling electromagnetism right now, but Mr. Stark and I already reviewed the basics so I already knew what the teacher was saying. And there was one time where I asked Mr. Lewis about something that was for the Arc Reactor project, he didn’t know how to answer me. He told me that he would look into it but I already knew the answer and he still didn’t answer my question.”

“Kid, when I was in high school, I think we tackled that when I was in third year of high school,” Steve chuckled. Would it be a first world problem to whine to your friends about how smart your son is?

“That was an elective, Papa.”

“Oh.”

“I wish I can schedule my school though,” Peter said. “I really like working for Mr. Stark and I am learning a lot that I won’t learn in school. I mean school is great because Ned is there and I really like Decathlon, but sometimes, I wish our lessons would be like how Mr. Stark and I would review the concepts and apply it right away. That’s really challenging.”

“Not many people would adapt to that style of learning, kid.”

Peter pouted.

“We can try homeschooling and see how it works.” So much for not wanting to tell Peter the homeschooling option...

The fourteen-year old looked at his father, not knowing what to think. He did not like school as much as he used to but he liked seeing his best friend and his crush. He didn’t want to give it up. What if he and Ned wouldn’t be friends anymore? Would he still have friends?

Steve could see the conflict on his son’s face.

“We don’t have to decide now,” he assured. “It’s just my suggestion so you can work the required hours for Mr. Stark without compromising your health or your social life.”

Peter giggled. “You’re saying that as if I’m one of the popular kids. You know I don’t have a social life, Pops.”

Steve ruffled his son’s hair. “Well, your uncles miss you. Your aunt Peggy and the rest of the Commandos, too. Do you know that your uncle Bucky has a new girl friend?”

“Really?”

“Yes and she’s really hot.”

“Wow! Uncle Bucky’s girlfriend must have really left an impression. This is the first time I hear you compliment a woman like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like saying she’s hot.”

Steve suddenly felt uncomfortable. Now that he thought about it, he hasn’t really told Peter that he’s gay. Not that he wanted to hide it from his son. It’s just that there was no opportunity. Steve wasn’t really the type who brings his dates at home. And he certainly didn’t introduce them to Peter especially when they didn’t want something serious.

“Papa, is there something wrong?” his son was concerned. “Do you like Uncle Bucky’s girlfriend like that? You can tell me.”

Steve smiled. “I like Natasha, but not like what you’re thinking.”

“What’s your type?”

_Handsome men who has a stable income and can also be a good father to you._

The blond tried to be casual. “As long as he’s not a dusty and can treat you well, I’m good.”

“Wow, there’s a lot to unpack there. You said ‘he’?”

Steve smiled, uncomfortable.

_Please don’t be mad at me._

“It doesn’t matter,” the teen said softly. “I just want you to be happy, Papa.”

“You’re all I need to be happy, Pete.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, continue following my son and make sure he or his guardian doesn’t see you,” Tony told the bodyguard he hired to follow Peter in the shadows. After he dismissed him, he leaned on his chair and rubbed his temple. Being closer to Peter is such a delicate task. He talked to the judge about getting the custody of his son to his current guardian and they all said that Rogers should be deemed not fit to take care of Peter. He had to be financially unstable or an abusive asshole.

The problem is he’s not. He’s quite the opposite. And to top it all, he’s not even a negligent parent. The bodyguard just reported that Rogers fetched his son to school and went to the grocery. He really envied his ex for having such a close relationship with his son-to-be.

Tony’s initial plan was to make Peter look at Rogers in a different perspective. Like turn his son against Rogers. But he underestimated how much Peter loves his current guardian. He got Peter’s records in the orphanage that used to house him and according to the file, he lost his parents and his relatives at a tender age of five and since then, he went from foster families after foster families. He was a good kid and all that but none of the families fit him as he was too precocious and would get in trouble a lot for taking things apart and doing potentially dangerous experiments.

The billionaire chuckled at that part. Why was Peter not biologically his? He was so much like him.

But no matter. He would get Peter.


End file.
